SewKatieDid

Because thread is the best glue

pillows

Gifting Boys

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Upon the arrival of the bus, Roan and I use to have this routine.  It started with a hug and a kiss, a high five and then a bump. and ended with waving until the bus turned the corner and we could no longer see one another.  All upon the request of a sweet little boy.

With the blink of an eye he changed his tune and I had to adapt to his next growing-up stage.  Now I get a kiss blown to me before anyone sees and a hug before we leave the backyard.  I miss those moments when he would just reach up to hold my hand.  Life’s bitter sweet like that and I’ll take what I can get.

sewkatiedid/ Improv log cabin pillow

If you catch them at the right age it’s not all about Legos and Star Wars or hiding affection bestowed upon your mother.  You can still make them (or their mom really) something sweet and homemade to be loved for a bit.

sewkatiedid/Improv Log Cabin PillowBrother’s with birthdays very close together and just revolving around the sun for their sixth and fourth year are still of that age.

3694646105_c5b6661a15-1I made these two a little bit larger than normal to have a soft cosy feel.

Fourth’s closure is from my invisible zipper tutorial (Class Scheduled).  I wanted the back to have as much surface design as the front.

sewkatiedidI finished off Six with an envelope closure since I decided to apply the age detail to the front.

sewkatiedid/improv log cabin pillow

 

There are some other details added in if you look close.

sewkatiedid/Improv log cabin pillows

I’ve had this corduroy for ages and finally pulled it into a project.  In fact I’ve had all those fabrics for ages.  It’s fun to dig around in the stash.

As usual I lined these with muslin and serged all the edges, perfect for the wash.

 

 

::Random Happenings::

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With little time between work, book stuff and teaching I’ve focused on finishing quick projects that are ‘needed’ around the house.

Like an extra curtain, to keep out that extra morning light daylight savings brought us.  Made with fabric from the wonderful Kathy Mack of Pink Chalk Fabrics (blog here).  I think I bought all the yardage she had.

The extra yardage from the curtains with some help from Pink Chalk’s sale flannel went into a whole cloth quilt for a very special baby.  I did the double binding again.

I could probably fill my living room floor to ceiling with pillows, but with an invisible zipper pillow class on the 22nd I thought some new samples were in order.  I fell hard for this new Amy Butler when I went to see Keli of Drygoods Design.  She pulled it off the shelf and the next minute I was walking out with it.

And seeing as we finally got around to getting a new cover made for the ottoman it seemed fitting to have something matchie-matchie.  That’s my excuse at least.

Now I need to get that Kaleidoscoping God’s Eye Quilt off the design wall and make this wee man a Unknown Direction quilt of his own.

Birthday Boys

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Brothers, and still young enough to be gifted a pillow, maybe even love it.

That little robot kills me.  He’s so stinkin’ cute.

On the flip side of the pillow, celebrating the 4th revolution around the sun.  I went with some corduroy that I’ve had around and never use.  This one I finished with an invisible zipper (I just redid my tutorial).

I popped this out of print Alexander Henry into my destash with some coordinates for making a pillow too.

For older brother, robots as well.  This print is flannel and I wish I had bought enough for a quilt back, just got scraps.

Big Boys dream in robot too.  Happy 6th revolution…

spinning on this lovely home.

Many smiles to you this year.

I know your Momma will like them too, because she gifted me some of the fabric.

I’m try to fit in some quilting today.

Happy Saturday!

::hst love::

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I wanted to diverge from the traditional half square triangle with one solid and one print for my half square triangle class.

Ara Jane  came along to guild with her hst quilt and I was hooked.

On my last trip to the island I stacked some bolts at Pink Chalk Fabrics.  Most are Kona with one shot cotton thrown in.  Purples, teal, light blue, light green, gray and white.  They play off one another perfectly.

If you are in the market for solids, Kathy Mack is my one stop shop.

I also scored this Lush for backing at half off.

After consulting my quilting expert (hee hee) I have a quilting plan.

I mopped and scheduled in some back/knee injury time,

also known as basting.

After removing the table from the kitchen for the process I’m also realizing that I need to schedule some repaint the baseboards and sew new curtains to replace those that are beyond faded.

One task will go on the honey-do list and the other will give me an excuse to buy fabric.

I hope I love the quilting as much as I adore the top!

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destash

classes

::FaceLift::

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Our couch and my Add Zip to Your Pillow Invisible Zipper Tutorial both needed a facelift.

I think installing an invisible zipper just got easier than it already was.

Now that my couch is happy, I’m off to mop and baste.

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Destash

::Hers and His Pillows::

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I needed to make demonstration samples last week for my Add Zip to Your Pillow Class and Roan needed a birthday gift for a classmate.  Two birds, one stone…

For Sofia’s new pink bedroom.  Little girls seem to still appreciate the handmade.  Little boys, not so much.

Last time I tried to make a pillow for a boy gift Roan’s response was, “Oh, a pillow?!  Can’t we just buy a toy?!”  Add a whining tone to that.

Skip the gift wrap, that’s what all those selvedges are saved for.

And that two bird thing?  Roan needed a new pillow cover and I had just a bit of this Alexander Henry fabric left from the back of his quilt.  Still reminds me of the A-ha video.

My couch is still in need and I’m waiting patiently for this fabric to arrive.

In the meantime the floor was washed and this was basted.

Now, off I go, I have a date with a quilt and I’m happy to report the sun is shining in Seattle.

Happy Wednesday!

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p.s. In light of the past few days, I found this video on Ted is worth a watch.

::Whole Cloth Quilt and Quilt Finishing Class::

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I’ve had this simple quilt sandwich basted and rolled up waiting for its addition of scraps and stitchin’ to make it into a ticker tape.  I got to thinking about our limited basting space in the class room and that a simple, modern AND most importantly small quilt could do the trick for teaching the basic threes to quilt finishing.

Stuff Three’s:

  • Quilt Top
  • Batting
  • Quilt Back

Do Three’s:

  • Baste
  • Quilt
  • Bind

The end result, this modern baby quilt!  We’ll cover the three’s in the class, and discuss what straight stitched quilting design to execute, plus centering and squaring a quilt and troubleshooting.

The design of the stitching is really seen from the solid front.  I think this is Kona Pond.  I straight stitched some gentle curves and left a space to straight stitch a third in.  I added a few lines of red.

 It’s bound in one of my favorite Cake Rock Beach dots.

And the backing is one of my stockpiled Alexander Henry Raindrop Stripe.


I think it will be a super fun class.

I’ve got Add Zip To Your Pillow class next Thursday if you need some new Spring flare.  I have my fabric all picked out.

::Opposing Triangle Pillow::

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I was late to the party last month, so here I am drink in hand.

There were projects made for the book that simply wouldn’t fit, or the technique wasn’t quite right.  The Opposing Triangle Pillow was one of those.

The colorway took some time, like everything in your closet tried on and thrown on the bed.

I love the quilting, it was like adding makeup and jewelry.

This pillow might be considered a bit of a wallflower compared to the other party dress pillows I’ve seen, but I would notice this one in a room full of pillows for sure.

Daisy Janie was so sweet and sent me the Shades of Grey fabric before it even hit the stores for the companion pillows and I think they dress it up a bit.  Kinda like a good looking date on your arm.

Invisible Zippers in all of them of course!  Consider invisible zippers your go to LBD (little black dress) to wear to the party, no envelope closure flip flops here.  Go dress yourself up for the pillow party with my add zip to your pillow invisible zipper tutorial and check out what all the other pillows are wearing.

A quilt like it is next.

::Blogger’s Pillow Party::

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I was late to the party last month, so here I am drink in hand.

There were projects made for the book that simply wouldn’t fit, or the technique wasn’t quite right.  The Opposing Triangle Pillow was one of those.

The colorway took some time, like everything in your closet tried on and thrown on the bed.

I love the quilting, it was like adding makeup and jewelry.

This pillow might be considered a bit of a wallflower compared to the other party dress pillows I’ve seen, but I would notice this one in a room full of pillows for sure.

Daisy Janie was so sweet and sent me the Shades of Grey fabric before it even hit the stores for the companion pillows and I think they dress it up a bit.  Kinda like a good looking date on your arm.

Invisible Zippers in all of them of course!  Consider invisible zippers your go to LBD (little black dress) to wear to the party, no envelope closure flip flops here.  Go dress yourself up for the pillow party with my add zip to your pillow invisible zipper tutorial and check out what all the other pillows are wearing.

A quilt like it is next.

::Carolina Chambray::

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So, what’s your favorite solid?  I’m talking beyond Kona here.  I’ve noticed all the new Freespirit solids and wondering if the price is justifiable?

I often get inquiries when I post a project with Robert Kaufman’s Carolina Chambray.  It’s my favorite solid.  We created quite a few quilts in the book with it.

Though I do love the softness of the cross weaves and the texture of the shot cottons, I find chambray a good weight and easy to work with when quilting.

When you place it in different directions you notice the weave.  This adds another dimension to the design of a quilt.

The natural is probably the one I get asked about the most, likely because I use it the most.  I’ve made several boy print hst quilts out of it and endless amounts of pillows.

All the colors are vivid and rich, but I love the orange.

I added a little to my Destash of the chambrays if you’re in the mood for something new.  You guys are quick, I even relisted.  I added some cross-weave at a good deal.

But I’d like your thoughts.

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New Classes

Flower Pillows

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Round One of this set of pillows:

Round Two:

I know.  They look the same to you right?

The pillows in Round One had an envelope closure.  Round Two pillows have invisible zipper closures.  I’m so much happier with them.

Invisible Zippers are divine.

These pillows are going into my Etsy shop rather than my room.   If you are looking for some fashionable pillows pop over.  They are fully lined and serged for a professional look plus easy wash and wear. Thanks Sold!

While I was knee deep in the pillow making mood, I made myself a bootie pillow.  I always imagined my studio to be aqua and red, but when I digging around for fabric I came up with the Veronique in red and pink.  I knew I had my new tuffet and that pink was now officially added to the palette.

I’m thinking the aqua might make it into a sewing machine cover.  Roslyn Mirrington of Bloom launched her sewing machine cover pattern this week.  I’m going to trick the patchwork and follow the pattern’s structure.

and I might some day “need” this.

That’s next on the list.

::Fabric Inspiration/Shades of Grey::

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If you’ve had a chance to drool over Daisy Janie’s Geo Grand organic fabric, then you’re going to get your creative on when you lay your eyes on her newest line Shades of Grey.

Jan was generous enough to provide Jacquie and I with fabric for some experimental projects for the book.  Some things didn’t make it past the chopping block to the final draft of the book.  The Broken Cogs Quilt was one, and the Opposing Triangles Pillow another.

When we laid our eyes on Shades of Gray for the first time we knew that the Opposing Triangles Pillow had met its companion prints.

When the pebbles print turned out a little too dark in value, Jan sent more Shades of Gray our way.

I love the Opposing Triangle pillow and have plans to supersize the design into a quilt.  I think it will be backed in Zipper Tape for sure.

Interested in learning how to install an invisible zipper and make some fab pillows of your own?  Easy Peazy, come next Wednesday and learn.  Half way across the country or snowed in?  Try your hand at my invisible zipper tutorial.